//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: 5C0074100 // by Nephilinae //------------------------------// The hallway was empty. Not a single living thing was in the cold space. Not a spider, not a mouse, not even a germ. One would have more chances of getting sick in a freshly cleaned operating room. A term that could be used would be "hyper-sterile". Truly, if not for the electrons and light pulses moving via cables in the walls, nothing would be moving. With a slight twitch, a section of wall spiraled open, four metallic bipedal beings surrounding a floating box marched into the sterilized hallway. Each one of the beings were identical except for the numbers and letters on shoulder pads. Each one was heavily armored enough to hide a living human being inside. None of them were of course, as each of their insides were powerful sets of electromagnetic joints that could accurately mimic the movement of a living being. Each one of them carried what appeared to be a poleaxe and machine gun combined into a single weapon. The box in the middle of the quartet was a different matter. If the four beings were Stone Age technology, then the box was easily Intra-Planetary Information Age in comparison. It was quite literally a perfect cube. Not a scratch, not a blemish. Just a cube of an ultra advanced metal that hovered in the air of it's own violation. The four armored beings escorted the floating cube down the hall. Each guard moved in sync with each other and the cube kept at a matched pace. Eventually they reached the far end of the hall and the section that caped the end twitched and spiraled open much like the first door had. The room the cube and company entered was a hexagon, about the size of a high school auditorium. Just as clean and sterile as the hallway. On the opposite side that the group entered was a kind of raised dias, which in turn melded into a solid table that partially hid those who sat behind it. Sitting at said table were twelve figures, separated into four groups for each segment of wall the table covered. The figures were a motley collection. Some were a slightly transparent image that looked like a living breathing human being, some were a mechanical proxy of a human, and several combinations in between. Several more identical guards stood in front of the table, and guarded the door. The only thing that seemed out of place in the obvious court room was the mechanical human proxy that leaned almost whimsically on the wall on the right side, arms crossed and as close to an amused smirk as a slightly emotion capable machine could make. The four escorting guards split onto opposite sides of the cube as it came to a stop in the middle of the room. With a click of their heels, the guards finally stopped. The figures behind the table looked at each other almost hesitantly. "Reveal the prisoner." commanded the robotic proxy in the middle position on the right in an ageing old man's voice. "Yes sir." replied a guard who stood in front of the table in a monotone voice. The same guard approached the now still cube and laid a hand on the top. After a moment, the cube was cut into it's eight corners with a flash of red light. The corners twirled for a moment before they began to orbit a twisted hunk of metal that floated where the center of the cube had been. "Activate him." ordered the same council member. The guard didn't reply but reached towards the twisted chunk and did something. Despite not having lungs, the chunk gasped for air. "Doctor Johnathon Micheals." another Council member started, this one a transparent female in her late 30's. "You have been charged with crimes against humanity, animal cruelty, and high treason... How do you plea?" she asked. The scrap of metal, which slightly resembled a face, continued to breath heavily for a few moments, once again odd considering it's lack of lungs. The Council lady who spoke nodded at the guard that unlocked the cube. It nodded back. With a smooth motion, the guard jabbed it's stave gun at the floating prisoner. Whom was zapped with a bolt of electricity. "We tire of your theatrics Doctor..." The same council woman stated. "How do you plea?" "W-w-would the k-k-counnncil p-p-lease elaaaaabora-ate?" the doctor asked in a slightly, but still recognizably masculine, monotone that sounded like it was glitching badly. "Are you or are you not aware of the release of the [̶̴͘͜Ŕ̶͘͝E̴̡̡͢͜D̡̛A̧̨C̸̷̷̴͟T͏͢E͟҉͞D̸̢͠]͢͟͢͝҉?!" asked a grouchy old man that had cybernetics. What was left of the doctor grinned. "I am-m." "Then are you or are you not guilty of releasing the only remaining specimen?!" the old man asked. "At ease Reginald." a fourteen year old girl calmed, her young voice somehow sounding centuries older than it actually was. The doctor began to laugh. "A-aaaye am g-guilty of releasing-g-g-g-g the [̷͜͡Ŕ̷̕͠É̛Ḑ͜͡Ą̵͢͏̡C̶͜T̡̀E͏́́͟͡D̀͜]̸." he laughed. "You plea guilty then?" the man in the middle asked. "I-I ammm only g-guilt-ty of ensuring th-he sprea-ead of life." The doctor giggled. "The [҉̕R̨͟È̷D̵́À̵̢̡͏Ć̕͝͞T͠͝E̵̷҉̀̕D̴͟҉̀]̀̕͡ is the sole organism capable of ending all life Doctor." the teen growled. "In releasing the sole survivor you have damned countless worlds... If they have their way the entire galaxy will become sterilized PERMANENTLY." "Cha-arles Darwin's Darwi-winism puuut it most eloque-ntly, 'Survivvvval of the fittest...' We betray-tray what huuumankind has become by the me-ere aaaact of sup-pressing the fi-ttest to survive." the Doctor giggled. The Council was silent. "If I may..." The odd person who was leaning on the wall stated. His voice was that of an early 20's male. "If, by releasing the [͢͠R̨͡͏̶̷Ȩ̷͜͞Ḑ̢͜҉҉A̢̕͜͞C͟͠Ţ̵̛͘E͢͜D̸̨҉̴]҉̴́͢, you ensure that life exists, for all time, in the form of the Apex... What will happen when there is nothing left but the Apex?" He asked as got off the wall. "An-nnnd who exactly is this young blo-od?" the doctor asked, raising what was left of an eyebrow. The whimsical machine person merely smirked. "Why yes, good Doctor..." the strange human machine stated sarcastically. "There is nothing left for the [̷͟Ŕ͜Ę̸̸̕̕D̷҉̛̛̕A̕͘͡͠͞C̡̢͘͢T̷̴E͟Ḑ̷]͠͝ to devour and they eventually starve... Thus ending all life as we know it." he stated as he poked the nose of the prisoner. "The Council would like to ask the highly praised Tim to stop pestering the prisoner." the head council member stated. "Sorry." Tim said informally, not at all sounding like he was sorry. "In light of the good doctor's confession, and by the highest of our laws, Doctor Johnathon Micheals is hereby sentenced to a stay in the Tesseract Labyrinith, until such a time as he has either died, or his expertise is required..." The head council member decreed. Had the doctor had any blood vessels, his face would've paled. "Take him away." The guard who originally unlocked the cube locked it again, cutting off a scream of terror that emanated from it's prisoner. The cube slowly floated out the door with it's escorts in tow. Tim watched the cube glide away silently. "General Tim?" asked the head councilman. "How goes your search for the missing [͏R̴̨̛̀E̸̢̧͡D̢̧͠͝A̸̢͘͟͠C̸̵̡̕Ţ̡͟Ę̶͝D̵̸̛͞͝]̶̸̴?" "Poorly." Tim replied, his voice losing all of it's mirth. "I've tracked it to a sector within my next sphere of expansion. But to which solar system I don't know yet." "I trust I don't need to remind you what will happen if it gets to a single planet?" "No." Tim stated, his voice going icy. "I already have drone carriers posting dozens of drones on each planet they can find. I will find your specimen and I will kill it." "You will capture it ALIVE... We need it to study how we can better counter another race like it in the future." the teenage council girl commanded. "I am aware of the reasoning behind capturing it alive, but the doctor IS NOT ALONE." Tim stated, facing the council and walking to the middle of the room. "Preposterous!" "Inconceivable!" "How dare you!" "That is a serious claim General..." "Believe me when I say my allies and myself have found proof of a larger organization working to unleash a Second Tide." Tim claimed. "I cannot reveal it yet to the rest of our peers, as I still have no idea whom to suspect." "You are not suspecting us?" an elderly lady at the left most end asked. "If the council is indeed compromised, then someone has access to the Corruption wing of the Central computer. A feat I'm sure all of you are aware is impossible without every human alive providing their piece of the password to edit it's code... I know myself and my allies have not given our codes to anyone, not even each other. So it remains sound logic to assume the Central Computer is not compromised." Tim reasoned. "Have you any idea who might be involved?" the teen asked. "I've narrowed it down to several individuals yes. But I will only make my move when I am sure." "A classic Tim maneuver then?" the late 30's council woman joked. The rest chuckled a little. Tim smiled. "A classic Tim." he confirmed. "We will leave you to your duties then." the head councilman said. "Council adjourned." The transparent images of the council members disappeared while the machines got up and began to file out the room, briefly sharing a word or two with Tim as they went by. Finally the only ones who remained was the teen, Tim, and the guards. "You really need to take a break Tim." the teen stated as she slowly walked towards the middle. "My dearest, Aunt... Are you suggesting I not find the [̷̨̨͟R̴̡E̶͠҉D̢͝҉͠A̶͘̕Ç̴̶̛̕T̵̴̡͜͢E̶̕͢D̵̡]̴̸͜͠?" he said in mock surprise. The teen grinned. "No dearest of nephews," she said with an equal amount of cheek. "I'm merely suggesting you do something other than the council's bidding for once... I know for a fact many of them are getting dependent on you." "Eh..." Tim grunted. "What can I say? They provide a lot of entertainment..." "Be careful, I know one or two are planning on nominating you for a seat in the next rotation... And I know for a fact you'd hate sitting here on Earth dealing with the ton of bullshit that comes with what should be the easiest job ever." the deceptively aged teen stated. Tim was silent. "Seriously, after this fiasco find a hobby other than playing the lapdog." "Yes Aunt Leah..." Time groaned. "Good, now give your aunt a kiss." "Ah! Don't say that in that voice! It's disgusting!" Tim exclaimed. "Fine fine... Give your aunt a hug then." Leah said in her clearly much more ancient tone. Tim smiled but gave her a hug anyway. "It's still kinda weird you want to be thirteen..." Tim stated. "Best years of my life!" Leah responded, once again in her teenage voice. "Yeah whatever." Tim smiled. "I'll see you when I get the [̴͘R̕͠͡È͘͝D́͜Ą̛C̷͏̷̕͏T͜͏̛͘E̡D҉́]̴̀́҉͢." he said as he let go of his Aunt, heading towards the door. "Do be careful." Leah said again in her old lady voice, waving. "I always am." Tim smirked.